Gimje Moaksan Music Festival

A stage will be set up at the Gumsansa lawn plaza — for two days, June 13-14

An outdoor stage will be built on the wide lawn plaza in front of Gumsansa, a thousand-year-old temple at the foot of Moaksan in Gimje, Jeonbuk. This year’s festival will be held over two days, June 13 and 14. The slogan is 'The greenery of Moak, colored by music'—and from the name alone it sounds like a grand rock festival, but in reality it is the exact opposite. It is a 'healing-style' outdoor festival where you can walk forest trails, sample local food, and enjoy activities with children, rather than just watching performances and calling it a day. In fact, this festival is a relatively new event that first appeared in 2024. It was a music-focused remake of the existing Gimje Moaksan Festival, so rather than overwhelming scale, it feels more like a place to relax with songs in the early-summer mountainside atmosphere.

You can immediately feel why the dates were set in June when you visit. From June to August, Moaksan’s broadleaf forest canopy blocks the sky, creating deep shade throughout the woods. As long as you avoid the harsh midday sun, it is the perfect season to sit on the grass and listen to music.

The 13th is for feeling, the 14th for energy — the lineup is completely different

The biggest feature of this festival is that the two days have completely different moods. The first day, the 13th, is closer to a 'feeling day.' Vocalist K.Will takes the stage, followed by female vocal group Gavy NJ, along with Muse Grain, Lee Jong-min, Slow Jin, and Onda Band. With a focus on emotional vocals and acoustic/band sounds, it is a lineup that is easy to enjoy while sitting on the grass as the sun begins to set. On the second day, the 14th, the atmosphere changes completely. Performances by girl group BBGIRLS and Zenith shift the festival toward dance-heavy stages that appeal to younger audiences.

So you can choose the date depending on who you are going with. If you want to sink into calm music, choose the 13th; if you want to sing along loudly and have fun, choose the 14th. If both sound tempting, staying overnight is also an option. For foreign friends, names like K.Will or BBGIRLS are likely familiar enough to make entry feel easier.

A day for foreign travelers — free admission, but transportation is the real issue

First, the reassuring part: this festival has no admission fee, and no advance reservation is needed. Just show up on time. There is no need to worry about sold-out tickets—spread out a mat on the lawn plaza and sit down, making it very burden-free for families.

What you really need to pay attention to, though, is transportation. The Gumsansa lawn plaza, the event site, is far from downtown Gimje, at the foot of the mountain, so public transportation is not very frequent. If you do not have a car, the general route is something like this: take KTX to Gimje Station and transfer to a city bus bound for Gumsansa, or if you are departing from Jeonju, the cleanest option is to take a direct bus from Jeonju to Gumsansa. However, bus intervals are wide and the area is in the mountains, so the last bus tends to be early. If performances go on late, you may miss the ride home. If it were me, I would check the time of the last return bus in advance, or consider calling a taxi if I were with a group. If you are driving, you can use the Gumsansa parking lot, but since crowds gather over the two days, finding a spot late in the afternoon may be difficult.

The way to enjoy the venue is simple yet satisfying. As reported by Chonji Ilbo, you can walk Moaksan forest trails during the day, browse the market in the afternoon, and sit on the grass to listen to songs as the sun sets. The venue also features a direct-trade market for Gimje agricultural and specialty products plus a food zone, so you can eat while watching the performances without having to search for a separate restaurant. If you are bringing children, they can enjoy magic and bubble shows at the kids' play-and-rest zone, and take a breather with a walk on the Moaksan red-clay path.

Go by instinct with the language, and pack light — things to know in advance

Honestly, I could not confirm information showing that English guidance or interpretation services are well established. Since this is a festival centered on local residents and families, most guidance and operations are likely to be in Korean. That said, the music performances, lawn picnics, and market browsing do not require much language, so even if you do not speak Korean, you can still enjoy the atmosphere fully. At the food stalls and market, a translation app should make ordering easy enough. Payment methods may vary by booth, so it is more comfortable to bring some cash.

As for what to bring, just match the fact that this is an outdoor lawn festival.

• A picnic mat or folding chair — since the event is set up for sitting on the lawn plaza, having one will make the day more comfortable
• A hat, sunscreen, and a light outer layer — it is sunny during the day, and cool on the mountainside after sunset
• Comfortable sneakers — you may walk forest trails and red-clay paths
• Some cash — for the market and food stalls
• A raincoat for wet weather — since it is mid-June, the chance of rain cannot be ignored

We recommend checking the official page once more for the detailed operating hours on the day and the last bus time before you head out. If you take care of those two things, you will hardly ever make a wasted trip, given the nature of a venue in the mountains.

So, who is this festival recommended for?

This festival is a great fit for people who want to enjoy music leisurely in nature rather than at a noisy big-city festival, especially families traveling with children. Since it is free and requires no advance reservation, you can drop by without burden, and if you also visit Gumsansa Mireukjeon (National Treasure), you get a rewarding one-day course that combines music with a thousand-year-old temple. In June, Moaksan is not a mountain to climb, but a place to sit in its embrace and rest. If you are planning a trip to Gimje, consider adding these two days to your itinerary.